Published on Monday, 10 November 2025 at 3:48:09 PM
This week, the Town completed a review into the landscaping and construction works associated with the Elizabeth Baillie Park upgrade.
The review has shown that a number of trees were not adequately protected during construction, resulting in the removal of more trees than originally planned.
This outcome falls well short of the Town’s expectation and our community, and we accept full responsibility.
The project site is divided into two parts.
Elizabeth Baillie House redevelopment site (led by Blackoak):
- In line with the development application, 16 trees were removed.
- A further 2 trees were removed last month due to deteriorating health – our statement regarding these removals was shared on our channels and is available to read here.
- The developers will plant 116 new trees and deliver extensive landscaping across the lease area.
Elizabeth Baillie Park upgrade (led by the Town):
- 11 trees were approved for removal under the approved tree removal plan.
- 6 additional trees were removed prior to construction following a routine arborist report.
- 7 trees were removed as required by Western Power to ensure public safety and infrastructure clearance.
- 6 trees have been removed which are intended to be transplanted back after completion of the works.
- 46 additional trees were removed during construction that were not part of the original plan. While the Town is still working to fully understand how this occurred, it’s likely that a combination of factors contributed – including the poor condition of some trees (arborist data from 2023 indicated that 9 were already in declining health), poor site management, and the need to accommodate new infrastructure within the park.
- The park upgrade includes 43 new trees and 23,160 plants. To offset the additional tree removals, the Town will increase tree planting to exceed 94 in total. After construction, the site will be reviewed to identify the most suitable locations for the additional trees.
Following this review, the Town is taking important steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again, including:
- We will ensure that the remaining trees are well cared for. Our most recent arborist report identified 44 of the remaining 277 trees that require extra attention, and we will implement measures ranging from trimming, weight reduction, additional watering and fertilising.
- We will work to ensure that appropriate tree protection is in place for the final stages of construction.
- We will increase the frequency of independent arborist assessments at the site to ensure the trees have the appropriate support to thrive.
- Following completion of the works, we will identify the most suitable sites for additional tree planting to replace the lost trees.
- We will review our tree removal processes across all current and future projects, and integrate the insights that we gain from this process into the Town's Tree Management Policy.
The Town deeply regrets this outcome and takes full responsibility. We pride ourselves on environmental stewardship, responsible planning, and community trust. In this instance, we failed to meet these standards, and we are deeply sorry.
We understand how important the Elizabeth Baillie Precinct is to the community, and we remain committed to restoring and enhancing the space for future generations to enjoy.
More information
Elizabeth Baillie Redevelopment Project
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